ABOUT TRAMWAYS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 376, 29 April 1910, Page 3

ABOUT TRAMWAYS.

J To the Editor. Sir,—Some time since, at the sug- | gestion of .Mr. Wm. White, who at that | time was connected with the New l'ly- [ mouth-Opunake Motor Co., but who is now established as <t motor engineer in Dawson street, I wrote his father, in Lincoln, England, asking information as to the "G. 8." tramway system. By this morning's mail I have received the following communications, which will doubtless be of interest to yourself and the readers of the '*Xe\vs":— Lincoln, March 17, 1910. Dear Shy—Your letter of the Ist February reached me on the 1-1 th inst., and 1 am handing it over to our electrical engineer, so that he maygive you the fullest and most reliable information respecting the "(J.13." system, which is in operation in this city. Lincoln is a city of about 50,000 inhabitants. Tile tramway track is about 1% miles long. We have a ten minutes-' service in the morning and seven and a-half minutes' service in the afternoon and evening. In all, we have eight cars, Id fares, and carry oil an average about 30.000 .persons weekly. My own opinion, as chairman of the Electricity Committee, is that it is -one of the nest known, systems. With the ''G.B." system there is no necessity to have the unsightly poles and wires in the street, which are more or less dangerous. Tile system has given us no trouble and U worked to the satisfaction Hi' ilu- Council and the public geiieiaily.—l. an;, etc., W. S. While, exMayor. The letter from Mr. Stanley C'lcgg, M.1.E.E., is as follows: Mr. S. White, the chairman of the Lincoln Electricity Committee, has handed me your letter of the Ist ult. for reply. I have pleasure in enclosing you a pamphlet issued by Messrs the "G. and 13." Surface Contact Co. themselves, and my report oit the working of our tramway system for the year ended March 31st, 1909, which fjives you all the information for which v f >u are asking. (Unfortunate-1 ly this enclosure has been omitted). The system was -put down in Lincoln on a guarantee of twelve months' sat-

isfactory working given by the company. the condition ben"/ "> hn i if it did not comply wilh tin- v-.;i'iou> requirements we lai:! down, we should not pay for it. and we k'.d suiii.-ient money ii: hand to ytj'.ace it w.:. ;h.overhead system. At the end ot tile period of ;:r. irantee. ho'vever. the corporation were iinauin'.ou- ;ii agp'ring to adopt the system, .and it would have 'been extended ere now had it not been that they are facing an expenditure of about £-00,000 on a new water scheme, the financing of which has stopped any other projects for the time being. If after perusing these reports you wish for any further information, I shall be pleased '■> give it you.—Yours, etc.. Sh'nW Ciegg, City Electrical Engineer. Probably the next mail may bring me the reports in question, of which I will advise you -later on. Meantime, it does appear that this new "(!.H." system would suit New Plymouth better than the overhead system. Even should it cost a little more it will be less dangerous and the extra money would lie spent among our own work people instead of for imported posts. —T am. etc., B. ENROTH.